If Only
by PastSorrows
Summary: NO! INO! GET UP!” Shikamaru yelled desperately, fear and sadness overcoming him at the site of his two friends’ broken bodies. The Kirigakure nin had proven to strong for his team, and the people he loved the most lay dieing before him... What will happen


A/N: So, I'm having a little bit of a mental block with That Never Happened, my other story. I just can't get anything cranked out for chapter 3…. It's not in me to write about Sasuke and Ino. I just can't stand it. Therefore, I am now starting a new series, _If Only. _It's ShikaxIno, NaruxHina, SakuxLee, and all sorts of other overused pairings! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: PastSorrows does not own Naruto or any of its characters, but he does own the plot, and any other AU characters.

Broccoli is bad for you, so please do not consume it while reading this fic.

* * *

Shikamaru, Hinata, Chouji, and Ino tore through the streets of Kirigakure, pursued by a mysterious shinobi who had so far managed to incapacitate Kakashi and Asuma single-handedly. Naruto was occupied with the Mizukage, and Team Gai was dealing with Sasuke Uchiha's Snake cell, leaving Shikamaru's cell to handle their powerful adversary alone. 

"Hinata, how far away is the mist-nin?" Shikamaru asked calmly, treating the impending danger as nothing more than a shogi match. Hinata flipped threw a few seals, activating her Byukagan kekkai genkai.

"Two-hundred and fifty yards and closing, Shikamaru-san. Apparently Asuma-sama didn't last long against him." Hinata observed.

"Shikamaru, shouldn't we find someone to help? If Asuma and Kakashi didn't last long, then…." Chouji trailed off, a worried look plastered over his usually happy go lucky smile.

Shikamaru glanced over at Ino, who returned his look with a nod and a reassuring smile. They'd been through so much together… to much for him to lose her. He shook away his sudden fear for her to respond. "Because there isn't anyone left, Chouji. Either we stop our enemy, or die." At seeing Chouji's frown become deeper, he shook his head and said "Don't worry, nobody in my cell is dieing today."

Hinata's soft voice, filled with urgency, interrupted his reassurance. "Shikamaru, he's gaining on us! We have five minutes before we encounter him." He shook his head, and, glancing back at his team, made one final decision.

"Hinata! Split off to the left with Chouji! Ino, go right and up and over the rooftops! I'll hold the rain-nin off for as long as I can. Go find Hokage-sama and tell her the situation." Shikamaru commanded his team.

"What!?! Are you crazy Shikamaru? You'll be killed!" Ino yelled, enraged by Shikamaru's attempt to send them off.

"Think, Ino! If we stand and fight he'll kill us all, but my _**Kagemane no jutsu **_is designed for an ambush! I can hold him off longer on my own than with you in the way!"

"And then what, huh?!? We leave you to die as soon as your family's jutsu wears out? No! We would all rather stand here and fight with you than let you die alone! We are not leaving you behind!" Ino's eyes where blazing with anger and determination, and the others nodded their heads in agreement. Shikamaru sighed, knowing he was fighting a loosing battle. Still, he tried to persuade them to leave.

"Ino, please, it's futile for all of us to stay and fight! It would be-"Hinata raised her hand, asking to speak.

"Shikamaru-san, we understand that already. But do you think we could live with letting our team leader and friend die alone?" She said softly.

"Yeah Shikamaru, listen to Ino and Hinata. We won't leave you, so stop arguing and think up a plan so we can all walk out of this!" Chouji admonished.

Looking at his friends, the lazy ninja knew they where immoveable. "Fine then. We'll all stay. But somebody has to get away to tell Hokage-sama, incase we don't make it."

Ino opened her mouth to argue, but Hinata cut her off and said "I'll go. I have the best chance of making it to Hokage-sama through the battle. Okay?" Shikamaru nodded, and Hinata split off and dashed through the woods to the left, towards The main invading force.

The three longtime friends looked at each other, and Chouji said "Ino-Shika-Chou to the end, right?"

Shikamaru smiled, and responded "To the very end, Chouji. As troublesome as it is…" They all laughed lightly at the genius's catchphrase. "Now, Chouji! Head off to the left, and prepare your _**Baika no Jutsu! **_Ino, go above us, and get ready to use your Mind Transfer. I'll sty here and lure him out. When he comes at me, I want you, Chouji, to attack him with ever thing you've got! I'll use the distraction to use my jutsu and hold him down, and Ino take care of the rest. Go!" They each jumped to their places, and prepared for the enemy to show himself.

* * *

Hinata rushed through the woods as fast as her legs would carry her towards the Hokage. She saw her friends take up their places to take on the mist-nin, who, for some inexplicable reason, had stopped thirty yards away from the leaf trio. The pale eyed kunoichi had been able to see the shinobi's chakra coursing through his body, and she understood how small a chance her friends had against him. 

As Hinata had observed the mist-nin, she had seen his chakra flux between incredibly strong to weak, just as Naruto's chakra used to behave as it assimilated the kyuubi. However, the fluxes seemed to be much more unstable, as if one very, very strong person was fighting for control over a weakling.

Suddenly, she felt a huge outpouring of ki from the mist-nin, and knew he was preparing his attack. _Please, hold on long enough for me to find Tsunade. _Hinata prayed silently. _If not... there may be no hope._

* * *

Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji all felt the rush of killing intent emanating from in front of them, and nearly fell to the ground from its affect. Shikamaru managed to yell out, "Get ready! He's coming!" just as the ninja flashed into view.

"Kukuku… what do we have here? More leaf –nins? How wonderful for me… I've become a little bored after dealing with the copy-nin. I hope you put up more of a fight than he did." The mist-nin said with a slight smile on his face, as if it was all a game. He stood with his legs spread apart and his hands at his side, completely relaxed.

Shikamaru said nothing, instead analyzing where his opponent stood. _He's standing in a completely vulnerable position… does he not notice Chouji standing right there, barely concealed? Either he's insane or confident." _He willed Chouji to hold still for a few more minutes, so Shikamaru could test the mist-nin.

The mist-nin squinted at him funnily, and said "Well? Aren't you going to make a move, pineapple head? I'm sure you don't want me to start.."

Shikamaru pulled out an exploding tag and wrapped it around his kunai, saying nothing to provoke the shinobi. He threw it in a lazy arc above the mist nin's head, where it exploded just below a metal shop awning. "Nyah-nyah! Missed me!" The mist-nin taunted as the awning fell on top of him, supposedly crushing him.

"Got you, actually.." the lazy shinobi sighed. He knew the nin had survived it, but wanted to know how. Suddenly, Shikamaru felt a kunai at his neck, the cold steel inches away from causing his death.

"Now, that wasn't very nice, Pineapple Head." The nin's voice was a hiss into Shikamaru's ear, and he heard two underlying tones to the voice. One was slightly childish, where the other was strangely hoarse and maniacal. "Don't do it again."

Shikamaru sighed again, and said "I'm not the one you have to worry about. Chouji!" Suddenly, a large shadow appeared over the pair, and the mist-nin looked up to see the multi-size user in full form.

"Got him, Shikamaru! Move!" The mist nin stood where he was, gazing up at the incoming attack.

"_**Kagegihen no jutsu**_(Shadow deception jutsu)" Shikamaru yelled. His body melted away into shadow, only to reform in another shadow. Chouji's meat tank smashed into the mist-nin, leaving nothing but a pile of rubble. Chouji stood up, jumped back from his landing site, and gave Shikamaru a confident smile. He then toppled over, a three foot long icicle spear protruding from his abdomen.

The mist-nin stood up from the rubble, his entire body covered in a protective layer of ice. "CHOUJI!" Ino's anguished scream rang through the village as the shinobi stepped over the multi-size user's body.

"Wow, the fat man's attack really packed a punch! Hurt more than I thought it would." Shikamaru's only response was to flip through some rapid seals and send his shadow flying towards him. The shinobi made no move as Shikamaru's _**Kagemane no Jutsu **_took away his control. "Well, you got me. What now?" The nin sneered.

"Ino, run! I can't hold him long enough for you to get him!" Shikamaru yelled at Ino. She sprang down on the ground from her position and took off, only to have an icicle ptrude from the ground right in front of her.

"Figured it out yet, shadow-user? My abilities allow me to control any aspect of water. I can freeze it, superheat it… I can do anything." As he said this, Ino toppled over on the ground and started to shiver uncontrollably. Her skin started to burn from the superheating process of her blood. Slowly, her shivering stopped, and she lay still.

"NO! INO! GET UP!" Shikamaru yelled desperately, fear and sadness overcoming him at the site of his two friends' broken bodies. _I couldn't save them… He's beaten us... Ino, Chouji.. their dieing, and there is nothing I can do.. Ino…_

_If only I had been stronger._

* * *

A/N: Chapter one finished, after three hours of nonstop work. It feels good to finally write about a couple I like. I just love cliffhangers. Anyway! Chapter two will be up in a little bit…. Maybe even in a day. Until then: 

**EVERYTIME YOU READ BUT DON'T REVIEW, A BABY OWL FALLS OUT OF THE NEST AND BREAKS ITS WINGS.**

The owls need you. Review.


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